Car-truck side frame



May 13 1924'. 1,493,500

c. s. PROUDFOOT ET AL CAR TRUCK SIDE FRAME Filed Feb. 24. 1923 fig "f" 1T f" I QIFJEIIT Altar-11 Patented May 13, 1924.

UNITED STATES A e F CHARLES s, rnoonroo'r, or wnsr vronr BOROUGH, AND DAVID LJEYNQN; or s'r.

DAvIns, :enmvon TOWNSHIP, DELAWARE CO NTY; PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-TRUCK SIDE FRAME."

, Application filed February 24, 1923. Serial No. 620,893.

tion of the invention, such aswillenable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates generally to an integrally formed side frame which is adapted for use underv various classes of cars, and particularly freight ears of largecapaci-ties, and our-frame has all of its principal membersiorme'd from one-plate of metal, such as steel or iron, which is first cut or sheared to the outlines desired to produce the dif-- t'erent members, flanges are formed on the said plate of different lengths on the various members extending substantially at right angles tothespaced sldeportions of the frame and joined to the sides by slightly rounded portions, and then the plate is bent about itsmmedian line and the two side portions brought into substantial paral= lelism, spaced apart a predetermined distance. with the .inturned flanges opposite each other.

Oneof thepartioular features of our invention resides in connecting the inturned the thickness of the plate forming the frame, and'the otheroutstanding flange on the companion portion'of the member is provided with integrally formed bent por-' tions havin rooves therein in which the tongue of the other portion is tightly seated," this tongue and groove connection thus securi g the two pa t o he. me ber v y firmly together, or tongues and grooves may beoneac-h flange. V

' When complete, the outstanding flange with the tongue and that with the groove portion have their outer edges in substantial' alignment, thereby presenting a pleasing appearance,.this being due tonotches cut in the tongue portion, thus keeping the outside edges in line. I j I f Our truck frame is ;of substantial overall width correspondin'g to standard dimensions forsuch parts, and forexamplathe w dthv may be SIX inches, more or less, as

desired, and the members arehollow, thus producing 'a strong'and at the same time an economical structure. v a

The members are formed integral, as before stated, and comprise a top arch bar,

inclined tension members with their upper ends joined with thetoparch-bar, thesetwopartsbeing .me'rge'd together, thereby providing deep end, portions of box section,

well adapted to withstand the bending and other stresses of use. Our frame also comprises upright column guides integrally pedestal tie bars integral with the lower portion of the frame, their inner portions joining the top arch bar'with the bottom bein generall of channel section while h l l 7 parts of their end portions are of doublethickness, flat and composed of two layers of plate. one of which-is part of one side of. the frame, ,while the other layers are part of the other side. Journal box bolt holes areprovidec'l in the "end extensions and in the pedestal tie bars to secure thejourna'l boxes to the frame. A bolster opening is also provided in the center of the frame where necessary to give strength to the structure andhold the parts together, while some members or portions of members a may have 'inturnfid flange Whifih are Opposite truck side trame; FigureQ is a bottom plan view, looking upwardly; Figure 3 is an end elevation, Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional elevation on the line IVIV of Figure 1 through the central portions of the top and bottom arch bars; Figure 5 is a cross section through the central port-ion of the inclined tension member on the line V- of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a cross section of a. part of the pedestal tie bar extension taken through the tongue and groove connection on the line VIVI of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross section through the upper portion of a column guide showing the guide plate secured thereto, taken on the line VIIVH of Figure 1; Figure 8 is across section taken through the intermediate portion of the end of one of the pedestal tie bars central with the journal, on the line VIII-VIII of Figure 1; Figure 9 is a horizontal cross sectional plan through the lower part of the bolster opening and the adjacent column guides taken on the line IXIX of Figure 1, showing the spring plank in dotted lines, and Figure 10 is a cross section taken near the end of one of the pedestal tie bars in the plane of the axis of the outer onrnal box bolt, taken on the line X-X of Figure 1.

Referring now to the characters of reference on the drawings :-1 is the central portion of the top arch bar generally: 2 is the central portion of the bottom arch bar; -3 are the end extensions adapted to rest on the journal boxes; 4 are inclined or diagonal tension members which join the bottom and the top a rrh bars and merge into the latter to form the end extensions 3; 5 are the column guides which extend in an upright direction and join the top and bottom arch bars. etc; 6 are the pedestal tie bars in general. all of these parts being formed integral from one plate. Openings 7 are provided between the bolster opening and :the ends, and these are shown of circular form. but they may be of any other shape desired. The top of the truck frame in general is the upper plate portion 8, with the two side portions 9 integrally formed and projecting downwardly from the same. forming the sides of the various members. The top arch bar has inwardly projecting flanges 10, the edges of which are spaced apart as illustrated; 11 are the bottom inturned flanges of l he cud extensions 3, the edges of which abut each other, and if desired may be se cured together by welding or otherwise. The bottom arch bar is provided with upper intnrned flanges 12. the edges of which are spaced apart as shown, and its lower part has inturned flanges 13 which abut each form a groove in which the tongue 15 of the companion flange 14 is seated and locked. Between these tongue and groove portions the outwardly extending flanges 14 are continued and their edges are in alignment with the outer parts of the portions 16 containing the grooves, so that the outer line of these portions is unbroken, continuous and pleasing. The inclined tension member 4 has inwardl projecting flanges 17 adjacent the hole 7, which are spaced apart and its lower side has outwardly projecting flanges 18. These outstanding flanges 18 also have tongues 15 and bent portions 16 each formed with a groove in which the tongue is seated as previously described. The column guides are provided with pairs of inturned flanges 19, parts of which are abutting and the other parts have their edgesspaced apart, and to the upper portions of the column guides the bolster guide plates 20 are secured by welding or otherwise. The inner portion of the pedestal tie bar is provided with upturned flanges 21 and its lower portions are provided with tongue and groove members 15 and 16 respectively. similar to those previously described. The outer portions or extensions of the pedestal tie bars are formed; of two parts, one integral with one side of the frame and the other with the other side, and these have flat upper surfaces 22. which are seatedagainst thebottoms of the onrnal boxes, and these extensions are joined between the journal box bolts by means of tongue and groove portions 15 and 16, respectively, similarto those previously described. The extreme end. portions of the pedestal tie bars are 23 and 24, as particularlyillustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 10. The inturncd flanges 19 at the lower ends of the column guides have parts of their edges contiguous and other parts spaced apart as par ticularly illustrated in Figures 4 and 9; and 25 are reinforcing plates shown of channel formwith their webs cut in trapezoidal shape and mounted within the end extensions of the frame in order to reinforce this portion. and they may be welded or otherwise secured thereto. The lower. portions of these reinforcing plates have upturned lips as shown to serve as nut locks for the journal box bolts.

As indicated in Figure 1f, the wheels, journal boxes, journal box bolts, etc, are shown in dotted lines, and as viewed in Figure 9 a portion of the spring plank 26 is also indicated in dotted lines.

Our frame is preferably made in the following manner: A plate of metal such as iron or steel, about one-half inch or thereabouts in thickness and substantially rectangular, is placed on a powerful shearing press and out to shape thereon in one or more operations as desired, this cutting or punching being preferably done cold in order to maintain the various dimensions. After this is done theplate is preferably. heated and placed in a powerful flanging press provided with suitable dies, and the various flanges thereof are pressed integrally therefrom, and some of these extend at substantially right angles to the body of the plate andv are joinedthereto by rounded corners'with various radii, while on some of these flanges other outstanding flanges are also formed, which 'are provided with tongue portions 15 and others having portions 16, in which are to behformed the grooves to re'ceivethe tongues. The outer edge of the portion forming the groove may at first extend substantially parallel to the inturned flanges, and after this is donethe plate is placed in another pressand bent about its median line and the two sides made to approach each other, so that like parts are substantially opposite, and the side portions arethen closed together with some parts in contact. .This causes the tongue portions 15 to betseated in the places provided for them, andfafter this is done the edges of the flanges 16, which form the grooves, are bent around the tongues and clamp the same firmly. P

It will be noted that the portions forming the tongues are of less depth than the body of the flanges on which they are formed by an amount substantially equal to the'thickness of the plate, so that when the tongue is in the groove the outer edges of the combined outstanding flanges are substantially in alignment and continuous, thus making a uniform structure of neat appearance.

It should also be noted that we may form some of the tongue portions on one side of the frame and some of the grooved parts on the same side, and similarly for the other side, although if desired we may have all the tongue portions on one side and all of the grooved portions on the other side, as will be readily understood. I

The reinforcing plates 25 are inserted and secured in placeand'the bolster vguide plates It will thus beseen that by meansof our invention we provide veryjsimple and effect ve construction for securing CGItEtlIl parts together by means of their outwardly extending flangesand the tongue and groove connections thereof, while the other part of the grooved portion is in line with the outer edge of the outstanding flange of the tongue portion between these connections, so

as to provide a compact structure and a cone tinuous or unbroken outline.

Although we have shown and described our invention in. considerable detail, we do not wish to be limited to the exact and spe cific detailsthereof as shown; and. described,

but may use such modifications in, substitutions for, or equivalents thereof as are embraced within the scop'eof our invention or as pointed out in the claims-1 I I Having thus described our invention, what'we claimand ters Patent is: 1. An integral side. frame fora car truck, composed of various v members, some of. which are provided with outstanding flanges secured together byz integral tongue and desire to secure by, Lets groove'connections,'thetongue portions of said flanges being of lesslengthi-than-thev other portions of the said flange, whereby the outer surfaces of said connections are in alignment.

one plate, certain -members ,ofwhich are se cured together by tongue and groove 'connections arranged at intervals w1th the1r' tions extending therefromand spaced apart,

2.-A n integral sidepframe composed of some of the members having integral inof said side portions-having inwardly extending flanges provided with outwardly extending tongue and grooveportions interlocking with each other, with their outer edges in one continuous line, whereby the parts are secured together.

.wardly extending flanges provided with j 5. A truck frame composed of one metal I plate, includinga top portion, a bottom portion, side portionscomposed of members Iii connecting the same, said side portions being spaced apart and some of them being provided with inturned flanges, some of said flanges having a plurality of grooved portions and others a plurality of tongue portions locked therein, with their outer edges in one continuous line, whereby the parts are firmly secured together.

6. An integral frame for car trucks, composed of a single plate of metal forming the various members thereof, having a top member, side members extending from the upper member in substantial parallelism and spaced apart, a bottom member, inwardly extending flanges on certain of said members co-operating with each other, one of the same having a plurality of grooved portions and the other a plurality of tongues, adapted to interlock and thereby secure the parts together,their outer edges being in one continuous line.

'7. A side frame for car trucks of the integral arch bar type, comprising a single plate of metal bent about its intermediate portion, forming a top arch bar, a bottom arch bar, inclined tension members, column guides and pedestaltie bars, certain of the members having inturned flanges adapted to contact with each other, some of said flanges being provided with a plurality of integral tongue portions, and its con1- panion having a plurality of internally grooved portions adapted to interlock, with their outer edges in one continuous line, whereby the parts are firmly secured together. v I

8. A side frame for car trucks, comprising a single plate of metal bent about its intermediate portion, forming a' top ,mem

her, a bottom member, and side members,

the sides of which are spaced apart, some of them having inturnedflanges, portions of said flanges being provided with integral tongues, and integral grooves in the adjacent portions, adapted to interlock and secure the parts together, with their outer edges forming one continuous line.

9. A truck frame composed of one metal plate, having a top portion, a bottom portion, and two side portions extending therefrom and spaced apart, some of the members, 1nc1ud1ng said s de portlons, being provided with outstanding tongues and others with outstanding grooved portions, all formed lntegral therewith, extending throughout parts of their entire lengths,

with their edges in one continuous line, whereby the members are firmly secured together without welding or rivetin 10. A side frame for car trucks, composed of, a single plate, cut in the shape desired to form the various members, in-

cluding a top arch bar, a bottom arch bar, inclined tension members, column gu1des,'

its median line with side portions spaced.

apart and extending downwardly therefrom, shaped to form the various members, including end portions adapted to rest on the journal boxes, a top arch bar, inclined tension members merging into the ends of said top arch bar and forming end extensions adapted to rest'on' the journallboxes, a bottom arch bar with integrally formed pedestal tie' bars forming end continuations thereof, column guides extending in an upright direction and joining the top and bottom arch bars, openings between' the column guides and the end members, a central bolster opening, integral inturned flanges formed on various of the members, some of which are. abutting and some of which are opposite and spaced apart, and connections between some of the flanges of the various members comprising integrally formed tongues on one of the inturned flanges and bent portions forming grooves on the companion flange, wlth thelr outer edges in one continuous hne, these being nested to form a lock joint, whereby the parts are firmly secured together.

In witness whereof we signatures.

CHARLES S. PROUDFOOT. DAVID L. EYNON.

hereunto afliX our 

